2628 Wilhite Court, Suite 201
Lexington, KY 40503
PH: (859) 278-0569 FAX: (859) 277-3919
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COVID-19 impact articles from Drs. Hope Cottrill & Tina Fawns,
UK College of Medicine, & the Kentucky Blood Center.
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Mamata Majumndar, MD
LMS President 2020
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COVID-19: Embracing Healthcare Reopening
Mamata Majmundar, MD
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As of May 27, we are in Phase 4 of the rapid reopening of healthcare to keep Kentuckians safe. It has been over a month when we began resuming non-urgent/emergent health care services, diagnostic radiology and labs in outpatient settings on April 27, transitioning to outpatient and invasive surgeries with strict guidelines in place on May 6, then to non-emergency surgeries in hospital and care facilities at 50% of pre COVID-19-era patient volume on May 13. We are now operating with the fourth phase of Governor Beshear’s reopening of healthcare services in Kentucky. During Phase 4, hospitals and healthcare facilities can determine their own patient capabilities, as long as progress continues with guidelines in place, orders are followed. We continue to work in our new normal with extra precautions being taken with maximizing social distancing, maintaining face coverings/masks, continuing tele health when applicable, and changing processes for waiting rooms to name a few. The last few weeks members continue on the front lines treating COVID-19 patients to others being sidelined and working mainly tele health due to past restrictions and embracing new change as growth.
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FREE HAND SANITIZER
Be One of the First 30 Practices to Respond!
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We Are More Than the Sum of Our Fears
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As I write this, I feel like I’m giving voice to so many shared concerns. Yes, we all have worries about our patients’ health, personal health, infecting loved ones, will our practice survive, what will things look like on the other side, will we ever eat in a restaurant again; so much uneasiness about our lives and futures. However, the voice that creeps up on occasion, the voice of panic and fear, that’s the one I really hate. This quiet dread needs to be met with a triumphant voice of joy and strength. We are more than the sum of our fears. We are smarter every day and are evolving in unexpected ways and we share in our hearts the hope that every tomorrow brings.
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Coping in the Ever Changing COVID-19
Health Care Environment
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During the current COVID 19 environment, things are very different from what patients previously experienced at UK Health Care, Family Medicine Clinic at the Turfland site on Harrodsburg Road. All staff are in masks throughout the building and even some in face shields at the check in and check out regions. Registration is being encouraged to take place from one’s vehicle by phone for clinical visit, lab, and x-ray. Signs in the parking lot directing patients to call various numbers to connect to their desired clinic. All patients are encouraged to have lab or x-ray appointments. Walking in for labs or diagnostic testing no longer encouraged.
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UK College of Medicine Students Support their University, Community, & Commonwealth
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Robert DiPaola, MD
Dean, UK College of Medicine
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As the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and UK HealthCare, the University’s health care segment began to make critical adaptations to the COVID-19 outbreak, the college’s medical students stepped in to help.
UK College of Medicine students have graciously volunteered their time and effort to support those hit by the pandemic’s rippling effects through the community. They’ve organized donations collections for those in need, they’ve offered to assist those who fight on the front lines, and they’ve supported the city of Lexington and cities across the Commonwealth.
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Kentucky Blood Center:
One of the First in the Country to Begin Collecting Covalescent Plasma from Recovered COVID-19 Patients
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Dennis Williams, MD
Medical Director
Kentucky Blood Center
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has disrupted all of our lives. While the mortality rate is significantly less than its predecessors (i.e. SARS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome or MERS), its global transmission is unprecedented. This can be partially attributed to the high rate of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic individuals; the virus is easily spread by those who don’t even realize they have it. So while the mortality rate and prevalence of severe disease among those infected may pale in comparison to previous outbreaks, the total number of patients infected brings the number of life threatening cases to potentially overwhelming levels.
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All LMS events through the end of May have been postponed. The May dinner meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, September 8th at the Hilary J Boone Center.
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Your LMS Staff is now working remotely from their homes. For membership or call center questions, you can still reach us at (859) 278-0569. For credentialing questions, call (859) 277-1762. Thank you & stay safe!
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Medical Student Conference in DC
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15 University of Kentucky College of Medicine students travelled to Washington, DC from March 5-7, 2020 for the Medical Student Advocacy & Region Conference. This was the largest number of students the chapter has ever sent to a national conference, and it was widely considered a success. The students spoke with staffers from the offices of Andy Barr and Mitch McConnell about several health policy topics important to them and the AMA, including telemedicine coverage, GME funding, and medical marijuana research. They also attended several guest speaker events related to issues such as Immigration and Health and Artificial Intelligence. For many, this was their first AMA conference, but every student that attended said that they plan to plan to go to more events in the future and continue their involvement with the AMA, as well as the KMA and LMS. The students send a big THANK YOU to the LMS for their generous contribution, which helped offset the costs of the conference
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Featured Physician: Dale Toney, MD
Vice President, KMA; Associate Professor & Interim Division Chief; General Internal Medicine & Women's Health; Dept of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky
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Why Did You Become a Physician?
I decided to pursue a career in health care in high school. I always wanted to help people and was initially torn between the medical and dental profession. My orthodontist was an early mentor and discussed a dental career with me during high school. I decided to try to get a summer job in the dental field but had difficulty finding one at such a young age. So, I decided to do the next best thing, which was to be an orderly at the Marshall County Hospital, a local 50 bed hospital and long term care facility. I quickly discovered that I loved helping patients, other than the bed pans. I continued this throughout my summers during college and developed a mentor relationship with some of the local physicians. I still liked dentistry although still had no job exposure in the field. Then I took both admission tests to medical and dental school. I planned to apply to both schools, but fortunately was accepted to medical school before the dental school admission process even began.
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